news LONDON - Britain urged Russia on Saturday to calm the situation inUkraine after Russian President Vladimir Putin secured his parliament's authority to invade his neighbor's territory.
"There can be no excuse for outside military intervention in Ukraine - a point I made to President Putin when...
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2014-03-01 15:33:01

LONDON - Britain urged Russia on Saturday to calm the situation inUkraine after Russian President Vladimir Putin secured his parliament's authority to invade his neighbor's territory.

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"There can be no excuse for outside military intervention in Ukraine - a point I made to President Putin when we spoke yesterday," Prime Minister David Cameron said.

"Everyone must think carefully about their actions and work to lower, not escalate tension. The world is watching."

Foreign Secretary William Hague described the Russian action as a "potentially grave threat" to Ukraine's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity that breached a 1994 pact signed by Russia, the United States, Britain and Ukraine.

He said he had spoken to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to urge steps to calm the situation, and had sent a summons to the Russian ambassador.

The memorandum provided guarantees of Ukraine's sovereignty and integrity in exchange for a Ukrainian commitment, since fulfilled, to give up its Soviet-era nuclear weapons.

The agreement committed the signatory countries to refrain from using any force that threatened Ukraine's territorial integrity or political independence, never to use weapons against Ukraine except in self-defense, and to consult if any event arose to challenge these commitments.

Hague said international diplomatic action was needed to address the crisis and he had spoken to German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Saturday.

Hague also said he had spoken to Ukraine's acting president Oleksander Turchynovand made clear Britain's support for Ukraine's new government and its territorial integrity.

"I assured him of the UK's commitment to working with other international partners and institutions to ensure that reforms by Ukraine are matched by international willingness to provide economic support," Hague said.

He said he would discuss with the Ukrainian government how Britain could support it in recovering improperly acquired assets.